Part II — The Complete Concept of Divinity

Part II — The Complete Concept of Divinity

Recap: The Original Being is ecstatic love. By nature love wants to express itself and expand, so the the Original Being expands into infinite beings.

How? By ”śakti.”

What is śakti?

Tattva-dīpikā: śakti — kāraṇa-niṣṭhā kāryotpādana yogao dharma viśeṣaḥ — Śakti is the power, within a cause, to generate an effect.

Kāraṇa = cause;

Kārya = effect;

Śakti = the power in the cause which generates the effect (aka. prakṛti)

What is the Original Śakti?

Kāraṇa: The original cause is ecstatic love.

Kārya: The effect it wants to generate is rasa — an experience of ecstasy.

Śakti: How does ecstatic love become experienced as ecstasy?

By expressing itself. Thus the Original Śakti of the Original Cause is expression of love (Another literal meaning of the word “Rādhā”).

Caitanya Caritāmṛta: rādhā — pūrṇa śakti, kṛṣṇa — pūrṇa-śaktimān | dui vastu bheda nāi, śāstra-paramāṇa — Rādhā is the Original Śakti, Krishna is the Original Śaktimān | They are two components of a single unit, according to the opinion of śāstra.

Śakti is not different from the cause, it is an energy within the cause (kāraṇa-niṣṭhā). But it is a distinct part of the cause (viśeṣa).

Rādhā and Krishna are two distinct parts of a single unit.

A Complete Conception of Divinity

Krishna alone is not a complete conception of divinity. A complete conception includes all three aspects: the original cause, the original energy, and the original effect.

The three letters of the mystic syllable ॐ represent these three aspects of complete divinity.

The beloved — Krishna — the original cause — A
With the lover — Rādhā — the original energy — U
Enjoying love — *rasa* — the original effect — M